Mega Adept

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Lathes.co.uk says "the black-enameled and sometimes blue-finished "Super" models ".

Andrew Webster's Adept page says "The Ordinary was often gaily painted, at the request of distributors, in order to camouflage its deficiencies. I have one in vile cream with handwheels picked out in green, but others have red highlights. The Supers are sometimes described as characteristically black stove-enamelled. In fact the most common colour was dark blue. I have three of that colour."

This one certainly appears to be in original blue enamel. The colour is such a good match, I wonder if Portass sourced their paint from the Humber Oil Company? I'd be very surprised if they were actually stove enamelled, rather than painted.

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

My Super Adept is green, as is the counter shaft stand and pulleys.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hi Ian,

Does it have 'British Made' on the back of the bed, or is it one of the Australian 'official copies'?

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've noticed on several occasions that the v-angle of the Adept plleys is often criticised as being too open.

This is mostly by people using round plastic belting. I'm wondering if the original angle was perfectly OK when people used round leather belts, which are much grippier?

Neil

[Saskatoon Model Engineering SocietyParticipant @saskatoonmodelengineeringsociety]

No matter what belt material the more open vee angle would require significantly more belt tension which would result in more friction loss.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Neil, there's no marking on it to say where it was made I'v noticed that often happens on British stuff, and other things had Empire Made, or Foreign Made.

The V on the pulleys seems to be about 70* on mine, I run 5 mm Green heat joined belting, it has good grip, but 60* would be better, that's what I use on the pulleys on my hot air engines.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

HI Ian,

Take a look HERE

Is that your machine? It seems more likely that a machine would make it to you from Oz than the UK.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Here's a ring spanner fro adjusting thrust bearings rings. There is a second, unfinished one somewhere…

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

It's on the other end you blind @'#~

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Your first chance to see the new headstock properly done.

Also, real progress with the back gear. The 22-tooth pinion is from a paper shredder, so I feel a bit of a cheat, but the 41-T gear was made this evening. The eccentric allows them to be out of mesh by about 1/16 and to engage more than fully. Next I add a 43T/19T pair at the front.

Neil

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I notice you aren't using a nice round figure for the bull wheel. Will you be drilling index holes? I am contemplating a back gear for a different small lathe using a 75 which I happen to have but it doesn't provide useful indexes so was going to drill 24 holes for divisions of 3,4,6,8 which seem to be the useful ones.

While I'm asking questions what do you think the smallest dia pulley (motor) should be for 5mm plastic belt?

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Neil, mine is definitely an English Super Adept, and knowing the shop that it came from in Dunedin(it's been closed for many years now, I would be sure it was genuine.

Does the back gear shaft swing evenly on the two eccentrics, I would have thought it might try to twist.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Bazyle

It should be 43/20 at the front…

I could make the bull wheel a 40, and match it with a 23, but I want to maximise the reduction rauio.

One possibility is a 45 and an 18 or a 48 and a 15, but a 15T will struggle with a 1/2" bore".

Ian

Then you must be right. I wonder if anyone has got an Aussie version? The one on lathes.co.uk is virtually identical, although the castings appear even more crudely finished.

I am a little nervous about this, although the eccentrics a are good fits. Worst case is fitting a detent at both ends, instead of just one. Still, this arrangement woks on Boxfords (albeit a bit heavier duty).

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

AAAAAARGH!

I left just enough space between the front and rear bearings for bull wheel, pulley and gear cluster, two adjusting rings, thrust race and thrust washer.

So how do I fit the key for the Bull wheel….?

Well I can just get it in (with tweezers) if I leave off one adjuster ring and the thrusts washer. The latter isn't a disaster, as I scraped the bearing face flat to get a good surface for the washer and I reckon its flat and true enough for the bearing to run on.

JS suggested a brass clamp screw instead of paired rings – which would be OK, but the screw has to go through a 1/8" wide ring.

My other idea is a much reduced key and a 4BA screw through the bull wheel, but that means a screw hole between two gear teeth…

Oh what a to-do!

neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Not too clear from the photos but can you loose one locking ring and thread the bullwheel to the spindle and just use one locking ring to hold it ?

In other words use the bull wheel as a gear AND locking ring ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Neil,

At this difficult time, I hardly dare ask … What mechanism are you using to lock the BullWheel to the Pulley?

MichaelG.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

Wouldn't it be easier to buy a Cowells or is that not in the spirit of the thread? (runs and hides).

[Saskatoon Model Engineering SocietyParticipant @saskatoonmodelengineeringsociety]

How about a single, split locking ring which would then be wide enough to take a clamp screw? My pillar drill (photos) has a split pulley for exactly the same reason (key inside). (There is supposed to be a link to a photobucket pic here. It doesn't seem to work, see the photos at http://saskatoonmodelengineers.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=10708682 instead)

 

Edited By Saskatoon Model Engineering Society on 01/12/2014 02:13:14

Edited By Saskatoon Model Engineering Society on 01/12/2014 02:17:04

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

That's exactly the solution I came up with while lying awake last night!

I can make a single 14" wide split locking ring, with the advantage that closing up the screw(s) will clamp it neatly on the spindle.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 01/12/2014 10:41:11:

I can make a single 14" wide split locking ring …

.

Maybe 1/4" would be more in keeping with the scale of the machine

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Back on the 14th you mentioned using a 1/8 gear and calculated it could take the power but now are using a bigger one. Although it looks better how necessary is that?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Good point Bazyle.

The problem is that a 1/8" gear will need a boss to help keep it aligned… OK that creates the option of a screw through the boss, but if the boss is only 1/8" wide…

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I would still need a boss to make sure the gear didn't wobble

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've almost completed the Back Gear. The elegant brass knob is a sprung detent for engaged and disengaged. Still thinking about whether I can make a bull gear to pulley lock that doesn't involve a removable pin.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

That's looking really good, Neil

'though you might have rotated that big gear, for the photo

MichaelG.

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